I had labwork, chest xray, swallow test and ekg done for my pre-op exam.  Good luck to you and have a Merry Christmas!

Hi,
I am having my surgery done at OSU and my pre-op appointment is scheduled for 12/28.  I called my surgeon but they have yet to get back to me.  I was wondering exactly what tests they run at the pre-op appointment?  I know they do bloodwork and a urinalysis and was just wondering what they test for.

As someone 3.5 years out, I definitely see an advantage to having a separate support group for those >2 years out because, quite frankly, unless there are a lot of you in a "mixed" support group, it is the folks who are further out who DON'T get support (since the folks further out ("grads") can help the newbies with their questions/issues but the newbies cannot help the grads with their questions/issues).  Of course, if all the grads abandon the OTHER support group, that's a problem!  Many grads LEAVE support groups because they tired of the same questions about vitamins and what they can eat early out, etc. and because the newbies do not understand post-WLS life.

Most of the people I know who are >2 years out struggle with issues of re-gain, consistency with vitamin regimens, WLS-related disappointments (extra skin and no money for plastic surgery, not having lost as much as they wanted, realizing that some of their pre-op problems were NOT (as they had previously assumed) somehow weight-related (and therefore did not go away when the weight did).  They want to talk with other people who are still glad they had the surgery, but for whom the excitement of the immediate pre- and post-op period has waned and LIFE has settled in and the task is maintaining the weight loss (especially for those who can eat almost anything and can eat a fair amount of food)..

Lora

Just a suggestion for a meeting place...Our group meets in the basement of a church...it has a lift chair which is helpful to a few people in our group...The church doesnt charge us any rent to use their facilities, as one of the founders of your group belongs to the church...So you might check amongst yourselves to see if anyone could get their church for a meeting place each month...We take up a food drive every November and donate the food to the church's food pantry, thanking them for allowing us to use their basement...Its really nice because we are allowed to use their kitchen which is great for healthy food demonstrations...

As for having a seperate group for those 2 years and out, our group doesn't do that...We normally have the meeting planned around information, topics and etc that will benefit everyone in our group...But if you can get enough people to have a second monthly meeting, that would be great...We have considered meeting twice a month, but the majority of the group said that they couldn't make it twice...Guess it all depends on who can and cannot attend...Good luck with your group/s...Tammy

Our group *Little by Little* meets the first Tuesday of each month in Greenville...Meetings start at 6:00...We have lots of new things planned for the New Year...This is open to anyone who has had weight loss surgery, no matter what type you had...Plus open to anyone who hasn't had surgery, and to those who don't plan on having surgery but are in need of support and friendship...Men are welcomed to our group...If interested in coming, please send me a message for further details...Tammy